Noted for the innovation and daring of his insights,
Carlin has staked out a special niche among today’s
comedians through 13 hit albums and string of top-rated
TV specials. Carlin also won acclaim for his performance
in the hit film "Outrageous Fortune."
A native New Yorker, he began his career as a radio
disc jockey with an ear for dialects and an eye for
the ludicrous. Segueing to nightclubs, he found his
metier in live performance.
As his popularity grew, so did his cross-country concert
schedule. He now averages over 100 one-man shows a year.
He has also guest-hosted "Saturday Night Live"
and enlivened Johnny Carson’s "Tonight Show."
Carlin made his screen bow in "With Six You Get
Eggroll" in 1966, then followed with "Car
Wash" ten years later.
"I guess I made only one movie a decade because
I couldn’t understand film performance,"
he explains. "But now, thanks to acting classes
and a personal calm within myself, I feel much more
at home on a sound stage. I’m planning to explore
this whole thing a lot more."
Biography from 1991 Bogus Journey Press Kit
GEORGE CARLIN (Rufus) still manages to perform
100 comedy concerts a year as one of the country’s
top comedians while paying attention to another of his
career goals - acting. In addition to character parts
in such recent films as "Outrageous Fortune"
and "Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,"
he plays a featured role in Barbra Streisand’s
upcoming "Prince of Tides." He had the title
role in the 1988 Blake Edwards television movie, "Justin
Case."
A self-proclaimed teenage "class clown / street
corner comedian," Carlin years ago laid out a career
path for himself as a disc jockey, stand-up comedian
and comic film actor in such early films as "With
Six You Get Eggroll." After an initial period of
extensive TV and nightclub exposure in the second half
of the 1960's, his stand-up career took a different
turn when, in 1970, he grew his now familiar beard and
began doing material of a more personal and political
nature. A recording contract led to the release of "FM
& AM," a gold album that won him the 1972 Grammy
award. It was the first of four successive gold albums
during the first half of the 1970s. Eight additional
albums have followed, including two collections.
In 1977, he taped for cable television "On Location:
George Carlin at USC," and initiated a string of
six highly popular HBO comedy concert broadcasts. The
seventh and latest HBO stand-up show, "Doin’
It Again," will be broadcast later this year.
Carlin’s other film acting credits include "Car
Wash," "Americathon," and "Working
Trash."
Updated Biography
The dude who was chosen to play the part of the coolest
future dude ever couldn't have been more appropriate.
For decades George Carlin has been taking truth, observations
and experiences and expertly melding them together with
verbal ingenuity to create lasting comedy magic. He
has continually managed to shock and enlighten audiences
while making them laugh, a truly exceptional gift. And
he shows no signs of slowing down.
George reprised the role of Rufus for the 1990 Hanna-Barbera
animated series Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures
for CBS-TV. A little known fact about George Carlin
is that he has suffered several heart attacks over the
years, one on February 14th, 1991, just two weeks before
filming on Bogus Journey began.
In September of 1991 he began portraying the endearing
character Mr. Conductor on the Shining Time Station
series, a role for which he would be nominated for two
Emmys. In May 1997 his book "Braindroppings"
was released and stayed on the New York Times bestseller
list for 18 weeks; the paperback version lasted even
longer on the best seller list.
In 1998 George Carlin appeared in the film Dogma playing
Cardinal Glick. He later made an appearance in another
Kevin Smith comedy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and
in 2004 he appeared in yet another Kevin Smith film,
Jersey Girl. George also made an appearance in the 2003
film Scary Movie.
While continuing to perform live on stage all around
the country, George finds time to film his popular HBO
Comedy Specials . . . in the fall of 2005 his 13th show
for the cable network will air.
